huber-



c. J. HUBER.

FURNACE GRATE.

APPUCATION FILED JUNE \1, 191a.

Reissued June 14, 1921. 15,124.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1' Swvewtoz 6 I Euler/Mm,

C. J. HUBER.

FURNACE GRATE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I1, 1919.

Reissued June 14, 1921. D 1 5, 124.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

C. J. HUBER--.

FURNACE GRATE.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 1919.

[ieissued J um; 14, 1921. 1 5, 124:. I

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. HUBER, OI BALTIMORE, IARYLAN D, ASSIGNOR TO HUBER. GBA'IE BAR &

STORING- COKPANY, OF BALTIMORE WARE.

MARYLAND, A CORPORATION! OF DELA- IURNAC EGRATE.

15,124. Original No. 1,232,681, emu July 10, 1917, Serial Specificationot Reissued Letters Patent. Reisgfled J 14 1921.

No. 75,503, filed February 1, 1916. Application for reissue filed June 11, 1919. Serial No. 303,526.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. HUBER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnace-Grates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to furnace grates, the object in view being to-produce a grate of hi h efliciency by means of which the fuel may m fed along the grate surface while being consumed, at any rateof progress desired by the attendant so that a uniform distribution of the fuel is insured. The con: struction and operation of the grate is such that the fire may be increased or allowed to diminish in accordance with the heat required. Furthermore, the construction and arrangement is such that the oscillatory grate sections hereinafter more particularly described only protrudeinto the fire or bed of coals momentarily thereby keeping the grate in a comparatively cool condition and avoiding to a considerable extent the tendency of the grate sections to warp and bind in their bearings. A further object of the invention is to provide in. connection with an inclined series of oscillatory grate sections, manuall controlled levers and connections where y groups of alternately arranged sections may be'actuated, combined with means for arresting the movementof each manually controlled leverindepende'ntly of the other and sustaining the fuel supporting surfaces of the grate sections in a common plane. Greater or less movement may be imparted to the grate sections as desired and they may be 0 erated quickly or slowly in accordance wit the necessity of advancing the fuel rapidly or slowly.

1 The important features of the invention which contribute to the result reside in the transversel extending grate sections arranged in wnwardly inclined SGIIBS, from ivoted at front to rear each section being the rear and having a front guar wall, the front surface of the section being of arcuate contour concentric with the pivot. The .alternate grate sections are'joined in separate setsby manually controlled actuating means which operates by swinging the sectors of each set mde endently of the other set about their respective pivots, bringing them to or through the vertical so that the coal is fed forward step by step by having the part wh ch is resting .upon each grate section which ..is thus rotated, transferred to the next grate section'fin front. The provision of a separately actuated drop bar at the rear 1s also lmportant to this combination because there is otherwise no means of dropping the refuse, the entire fire with the except on of the very finely powdered material belng moved forward step b step'until it comes to the drop bar from w ich point, and which po1nt only, it may bedischarged.

The structure otherwise defined includes a plurahty of rocking or movable sections within the fire-box, of substantial width and elongated transversely of the fire-box. These constitute a sloping, fuel-supporting surface, and the actuating means serving to rock the'grate-sections causes the fuel to move down the sloping surface from one section to another and to progressive positrons, without materially disturbing the fire, the grate-sections being formed and arranged to conjointly present and maintain a substantially continuous fuel support in both the normal and moving positions of sand sections, to prevent dislodgment of the fuel through the grate in the normal supporting and feeding operations or positions of the grate.

With the above and other objects in view, the lnventioh consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section through a furnace, showing the grate of this invention partly in side elevation and partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a similar view'showing one group of grate sections tilted for advancing the coked fuel.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the dumping grate section lowered.

ig. 4 is an enlarged detail side elevation of one of the supporting bars.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross section on the line 5, 5 of'Fig 1, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of one of the grate sections.

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of t Same- Fig. 8 is an end elevation of one of the grate sections.

Fig. 9 is a vertical cross section on the line 9, 9 of Fig. 6. p v

Fig. 10 is an end view of one grate section showing a fragment ofthe next grate section adjacent the lip, in cooperative relation thereto.

Great difiiculty has been experienced in producing a grate of such a construction as to insure the uniform feeding of the fuel along the grate surface at a roper rate of pro ress, and also to enable t e rapidity of fe of the fuel to be increased or dimin ished as required; in accordance with conditions-existing at any articular time. The

ate hereinafter particularly described and illustrated in the drawings has been especially designed to overcome theobjections referred to and which. up to this time have been fatal to the practical efliciency of grates of the general type embodied in this application.

In carrying out the present invention, I employ any suitable number of sup rting bars one of which is illustrated in side elevation in Fig. 4. Eachsu porting bar comprises a substantially vertical web-like body 1 of truss formation, said bar. being provided' at one end thereof with an attaching lug 2' and provided at the opposite end thereof witha supporting lug 3. In its upper margin the supporting bar is provided with a longitudinal series of journalreceiving sockets 4 and 5 and it willbe observed that each of said socketscomprises a wall 6 which is substantially stralght and is inclined or oblique with res set to the length of the bar, the oblique wa 1s of the sockets 4 inclining I. towardthe front of the furnace and the oblique walls 6 of thesocket 5 inclining in the opposite direction or toward the rear'wall of the furnace, the front wall of the furnace being indicated at 7 and the rear wall at 8.

Each of the supporting. bars 1, as shown in Fig. 5, is rovided at one side thereof with a lateral y projecting flange .9 which extends under the iournals of the grate sectionshereinafter described and as shown in Fig. 5 and overhangs the connecting rods b which the grate sections are oscillated: Where grate sections are arranged ,at both sides of a supporting bar 1, the latter is provided with two of such flanges 9 as shown in Fig. 5 and these flanges, whether one or upper marglnal edge of the body of the supporting bar including the journalreceiving sockets 4 and 5. I

The fuel supporting surface of the grate is made up of an inclined series of oscillatory grate sections 10, said series sloping downwardl at a certain predetermined angle from t e front toward the rear of the.

oscillated with comparative ease.

furnace as clearly indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Each of the gratesections is constructed as best illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, the same comprising a series of parallel grate bars 11 which are connected intermediate their front and rear extremities by means of a stringer bar 11 and are further connected at their front extremities by means of a guard wall 12. Each of the grate bars 11 is ofthe shape best illustrated in Fig. 9, the bars 11 being of greater depth or vertical extent at the front than at the rear of the ate section. The grate section is provide at its opposite extremities with projecting journals 13 and is also provided with bearingshoulders or bosses 14 to pre-' vent the operating arms hereinafter described from rubbing againstthe support ing bars 1 thusreducing friction to a minimum and enabling the grate sections to be At their. rearward extremities the grate bars 11 are rounded as shown at 140 so as to lie flush with the journals 13. Each grate bar 11 thus comprises a curvilinear portion 140 and a rectilinear portion 15. These projections may be described in a general way as teeth indicated by reference character 141'. They have an important function of bearing against the guard wallof the next grate section, preventing the fire from dropping down between the sections and at the same time providing sufficient ventilation so that the adjacent surfaces are cooled and protected from burning. This produces a clinker crushing projection at the rear extremity of the bar 11, the series of clinker crushing projectionsfthus provided on each grate section serving to break up the cinders during the oscillatory movements of the grate sections thus eliminating large clinkers forming under thebed of coals.

The guard wall 12 gradually decreases, in

thickness from top to bottom as shown in Fig. 9 and the outer surface 16 thereof together with the adjacent edges 17 of the grate bars 11 are described on an arc of a circle of which the axis of the journals 13 is the center. The object in forming the surfaces referred to on the are above mentioned is to render it possible to rock each rate bar section into the position indicated in Fig. 2 where the fuel supporting top surfaces of certain grate sectlons are shown as approaching a vertical line without opentwo are employed, follow the outline of the E v egrate or dumping any of the fire. ach grate section is also provided at one end only thereof with an operating arm 18 and a portion of the forward edge of said arm is also described on the aforesaid arc as v shownat 19. The shape and angular disposition of the operating arm 18 of each gratesection .10 are such that if necessary "the fuel supporting top surface of said grate section may be carried beyondthe vertion.

tical, this being rendered possible byextending the arm 18 obliquely downward and backward with respect to its grate section. This last named feature is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and also in the detail sectional view, Fig. 9.

The guard wall 12 has its upper or top portion expanded in width or thickness to form a projecting .lip 20 which as shown in Fig. 10 overhangs the adjacent portion of the next grate bar 10, the object of this being to prevent coal from sifting downwardly between the grate sections which would be productive of considerable waste of fuel and han 'ng arrangemento the projecting ledge 20. t will also be noted that the guard wall 12 does not extend downwardly .to the full depth of the rear portions of" the grate bars 11 and therefore when the grate tion is rocked u wardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, Free draft will be allowed between the grate bars ll and thus the d is not interferred withb 'saidguardwa l. The stringer bar 11' an the grate bars 11 as well as the guard wall 12 dually decrease in thickness from top to ttom thereby causing them to easily clear themselves from adhering accumulations and also making the grate section as a whole easier to draw from the sand of a mold. At its extremity, each operating arm 18 is preferably rovided with an annular bearing boss 22 w ich comes in contact with the ad acent connecting rod 23 and thereb prevents the body of the arm 18 from rub ing against said connecting rod and producing unnecessary fric- As many rows .of oscillatory grate sections A may be employed as m3 ired by the dimensions of the furnace an .in connection with each row of such grate sections, I employ a pair of connecting rods 23 as clearly indicated in Fig. 5, the said connecting rods-lying beneath and being protected by the overhanging flanges 9 of the intervening supporting bar 1, which. re-

vents the siftings from the grate from alling upon the connecting rods or bars 23 and the pivotal connections between said bars and the operjatin arms 18 of the adjacent gratesectmns. ach.arm.1 8 is shown as connected to one of the rods or bars 23 hp; means of ivot 24 which is inserted throng a smooth hole in the arm 18 and threaded 66 into an opening in the respective connecting rod 23 where is is fixedly held? by means of a set screw 25 screwed into the rod 23 and binding a ainst the threaded portion of the ivot 24L his revents any possibility of t e pivot 24 WOIRKlIlg loose and permitting the arm 18 to become disconnected from the rod 23. It will be noted b reference to Fi 1, 2 and 3 that one of the connecting r0 5 23 is pivotally associated with one group of oscillatory grate sections, said group being composed of every alternate grate bar section. The other connecting rod 23 is similarly associated with the remaininglgrate bar sections.

achof the connecting rods 23 is actuated independently of the other by means of a manuall operated lever designated nerally at and comprising a base section 26 and a detachable section 27. a The base or main section 26 is operatively connected with the respective connecting rod 23 by means of a telesco ic coupling rod designated generally at and coin using a tubu-' lar member 28 and a rod-1i e member 29 which is slidable in the member 28 and held at any desired adjustment b means of a binding screw 30 carried by t e member 28. The con ling red C is pivotally connected at 31 to t e respective connecting rod 23 and is pivotally connected at 32 to the base section 26 of the lever B, said base section being shown as fulcrumed at 33 on an arm or bracket 34 fastened to the front'wall of the furnace.

The section 26 of theleve'r B is formed with a socket at 35 to receive the section 27 of the lever which may be readily detached from the section 26 when not in use andthe section 26 is provided with a laterally extending stop 36 which is adapted to come in contact with the front wall 7 of the furnace when the fuel supporting surfaces of the ate sections are rm a common plane.

structed in such manner as to provide a sto surface 37 which also comes in contact wit the front wall of the furnace and performs the same function as thestop 36.

38 desi ates the dead plate or coking plate at t e front end of the inclined grate and just within the fuel door opening 39. 40 designates the dumping grate section the journals 41 of which are received in the sockets 5 of the supporting bar or bars. An operating connection 42 is pivotally ,attached to the dumping te section 40 at 43 and extends through t g front wall of the furnace where it is provided with a suitable operating handle 44.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawin it will now be understood that the os-' .The ever section 27 is also preferably cen- 5, even should one or more of the grate sections become warped or overheated, the

shape of the sockets 4 and 5 will permit the journals of the grate sections to shift themselves in order to compensate forsuch warping of the grate sections without liability of any binding action, thus maintaining the grate sections in perfect working condition and relation to the supporting means therefor. The pivotal connection between the grate sections and the connectin rods 23 is protected by the overhanging anges 9 of the supportin bars 1 thereby preventing siftings from nding their way to the pivotal connections referred to and also assisting in keeping the working parts of the grate in good condition. On account of the grate sections being alternately connected to an operating lever, ever other grate section may be rocked upwai' ly for feeding the fuel toward the rear end of the grate and a slow movement may be imparted to the said grate sections by a corresponding movement of the lever by which said sections are operated. The grate vsections are in the fire or bed of coals only for a moment or during the operation of the respective lever B thereby attaining a distinct advantage over any eccentric-operating means'which has the sericus defect of keeping portions of the grate sections for too long a period in the bed of coals and thereby increasing the liability of warpage of the parts. The fuel supporting surfaces of the grate sections are maintaine in a common plane by means of their actuating levers and the sto s above described.

By reason of the specia formation and arrangement of the o crating arms 18 of the grate sections, the uel supporting surfaces of said sections may be carried upwardly to and even beyond a vertical line so as to positively insure the progressive movement of the fuel while at the same time breaking up any crust or sheet-like clinkers which ma form above the grate.

(lhe of the important results achieved by thisinvention is the feeding of the burning material backward step by ste as combus-' tion progresses until, when it is completely burned, it is deposited on the dum ing section 40 at the rear. Certain mem ers and features of the device as combined contribute to this result and are essential to it. They consist in transversely extending grate sections arranged in series, inclined downwardly to the rear, each section being pivoted at the rear to swing upward and backward substantially into vertical position and having an arcuate front concentric with the pivot, together with means connecting the alternate grate sections in separate sets to make it possible to swinglthe sections of each set independently of t e other set about their respective pivots, and a separately actuated drop bar in the rear.

the ctions of one set are in normal position to receive the fire when the sections of the other set tip up to transfer it. If, for instance, all the sections moved at once, the fire would be dumped or pockets would be formed by which the material would be held during the rocking of the sections, so that it would drop back into its original position. Thearcuate front surface is also necessary to maintain a sufficient closure between the sections to prevent dropping of the fire during stoking. The manual actuation of the separate individual sets is necessary for two reasons, one is that with the ordinary, mechanical stoker the grate sections which rock up into the fire are held solong in the fire in order to roduce continuous operation, that they are urned and the mechanical control is very wasteful in that the consumption varies and the speed must be faster than that necessary to give complete burning of the coal. The dumping section at the rear also separately actuated and manually controlled is necessary to dispose of the burned material whenever it has sufiiciently accumulated. Therefore, all these features combine in contributing to the improved result:

Another important feature of the invention is found in the short teeth or projections at the rear of the pivot which allow sufficient air space between the sections to prevent burning, which grind the clinker to prevent clogging and support the fire at this point, preventing loss of fuel both during stoking and when the grate is in normal position.

Having thus' described my invention, I claim:

1. In a furnacegrate, the combination with supporting means, of a rearwardly sloping series of oscillatory grate sections each embodyinga plurality of grate bars, a stringer bar intersecting said grate bars between the front and rear extremities thereof, and a guard wall' also intersectinglsaid grate bars at the extremitiesthereof, e lower portion of the outer face of said guard wall and the adjacent extremities of the grate bars being described on the arc of a circle of which the axis of movement of the grate section is the center, the upper portion of the outer stringer bar intersecting said grate bars between the front and rear extremities thereof, and a guard wall also intersecting said grate bars at the extremities thereof the outer face of said ard wall and the ad acent extremi-, ties of t e rate bars being described on the arc of a circ e of which the axis of movement of the grate section is the center, the up er marginal, portion of the offset on its outer side to ledge which overhangs the of the next rate section.

3. In a mace grate, the combination with supporting means, of a rearwardly slo ing series of oscillatory grate sections eac embodying a plurality of grate bars, a stringer bar intersectingsaid grate bars between the front and rear extremities thereof, and a guard wall also intersecting said grate bars at the extremities thereof, the outer face of said guard wall and the ad'acent extremities of the grate bars being euard wall being orm a projecting scribed on the arc of a circle of whichthe axis of movement of the grate section is the center, the extremities of said ate bars farthest from the guard wall being partly curvilinear and. artly rectilinear and forming clinker-crushing projections In a furnace grate, the combination with a rearwardly sloping series of voscillatory grate sections havin end journals, of a supportin bodying a substantia y vertical web-like ody formed with hearing sockets for'saidjournals, said sockets being open at the to and each partly defined b a wall which is e length of the supporting bar one of said sockets havin its oblique wall inclined in the opposite lrection, and a dumping grate section having an end journal supported in the last named socket, I I

5. In a grate, the combination of a plurality of oscillatory grate sections arranged in abutting relation and in an inclined series, each section comprising parallel grate bars having rounded extremit1es,-a stringer bar intersecting said bars adjacent to the rounded extremeties thereof and having a subt5 cbmprising stantially flat side forming clinker crushing faces between the rounded extremities of said bars, a ard wall extending downwardly from t e o posite extremities of said bars and describe on an arc of which the axis of said section is the center, and means connecting said sections in two separate sets, each comprising alternate sections and manually controlled means for oscillating Ellie sections of each set independently 0 other set.

6. In a grate, the combination of a pluralit of oscillatory grate sections arranged in a uttin relation in a series inclined downwarrfiy and rearwardly, each section a plurality of bars, the crossadjacent portion bar t erefor em width-from the rear toward t e front, the

axis of each section being adjacent the rear ends of thebars of that section so that in oscillating the sections swing u ward and backward toward the rear of, t e. furnace, a guard wall extending downwardly over the forward extremities of the said bars for the ater orti'on of the width of the bars and aving t e outside surface in the main described on a substantially circular arc of which the axis of said section 18 the center, each section having a lever arm, and separate means connectedtothe alternate lever arms forming two separate sets, and manually operated means cooperating with said means to oscillate the sections of each set independently of the other set. I

7. A grate section for stokin grates consistin of a plurality of grate bars, a pivot at eac end of the section transverse to the bars, the pivots bein in alinement'with each each other and wit the rear ends of the bars, means connecting the ends of the bars in alinement with the pivots, each bar being of a width measured in a plane at right ate the en s of the grate bars remote from 't e pivots and extendin downward for a considerable portion of t e width of said ends of the bars an almost equal portion of the ends of the grate bars being uncovered substantiall the entire outer surface of the guard wa and the surfaces of the adjacent ends of the grate bars being formed on a circular arc concentrio with the pivots, and a lever arm at right angles to the pivot.

8. ha stoking grate, the combination of a plurality of grate sections arranged in series inclined downwardly to the rear, each section having a bearing near its rear portion on which it is mounted to swing upward and backward and comprising grate bars forward of the bearing and short teeth projecting to the rear of the bearing the guard wall extending downward over the forward extremities of the bars, the front of the sections being formed-on an arc of which the axis of oscillation of said section is the center. v

9. In a stoking grate, the combination of a pluralit of grate sections arranged in serles inclined downwardly to the rear, each section having a bearing near its rear portion on which it is mounted to swing upward and backward. and comprising grate bars forward of the bearing'and short teeth projecting to the rear of the bearing the guard wall extendi downward over the forward extremities o the bars, the front face of each of the said grate sections being in the form of an arc, swung from a center which is also the center of oscillation of the sec- 'anglesto the pivots increasing from the versely-extendin .clined downwar ly immunit -ant to rear, the

respectivesections being pivotednear their rear tion of each section projecting into close relation with the'guargl wall ofthe next' section to the rear. p

10. A hand stoker consisting of transversely-extending grate sections in downwardly' inclined series from front to rear, the sections being pivoted near their rear portions and having arcuate front portions concentric with the pivot, means connecting the alternate grate sections in separate sets, and manually controlled means for swinging the sections ofreach set independently o the other setabout their respective pivots, the grate sections swingin upward and back-, ward .into position su stantially at right angles to the grate, and it separately actuated .drop bar at, the rear.

11. A hand stoker consisting of trans-, gratesections in series in:

rtions and having grate bare extend orward of the pivot, ia guard'fwall at the front, the fronts of'the sections being formed concentric with their pivots short teeth projecting from the rear of the, sections adjacent the pivots, and means for swinging the sections at difierent times about their respective pivotsand returning them" quickly to normal, .thegrate sections being mounted to 'swi'ng upward and back ward substantiall to a vertical position.

12. A furnace aving a fire-boxprovided with a grate comprising a plurality of movw able sections of substantial width elongated to extend transversely of the fire-box "and in normal position adjoining each other and mounted to constitute a sloping fuel-supportingsurface, and means for moving alternate grate sections to bodily lift-and cause the clinkers and fuel thereon to move to adjacent sloping sections and down the latter-to progressive positions without materially disturbing the burning fuel, the grate-sections being formed and arranged to conjointly presentand maintain a substantially continuous fuel support in boththe normal and moving positions of said sections to prevent dislodgment of the fuel through the grate during, the normal supporting and tfeeding operations of the grate.

Signed by me at Baltimore, this 26th day of March, 1919.

CHARLES J. HUBER.

Maryland,

Witnesses EMMA Annsnnonn, EMMA Wnmmmn. 

